Liquid dispensing apparatus



Pcia. 24, 1,942.l 4ca. c.,HARBlsoN LIQUID DISPENSING vAPPARATUS InventorVGeovlce C. Harbson,

b9 Wwf/ His Attorney.

Patented Feb. 2.4, 1942 Gem-ge c. Harmsen,- Eriera., assigner to GenerarElectric Company, a corporation of New York Application February11,1941, seriaiNo. l378,396

My invention relates to liquid dispensing apparatus which isparticularly applicable to liquid It is an object of my invention toprovide a new and improved liquid cooling and dispensing apparatus `soconstructed that the danger of spilling liquid therefrom during the actof placing the liquid holding device in the dispensing position isminimized. I v Further objects and advantages of my invention willbecome apparent as the following Idescription' proceeds, and thefeatures of novelty which characterize my invention will be pointed .outwith particulafrity in theclaims annexed to and forming a part oi.' thisspeciflcatiom 'Fora better understanding of my invention, reference maybe had to' the drawing in which Fig. 1 is a partial view in perSPect veof a refrigerator provided with liquid dispe ing means embodying theprinciples of my invention; Fig. 2

' -is aside view,'partially in section, of the re.

frigerator door4shown in Fig. l illustrating the details of myinvention; and Fig. a is e view similar to Fig.2 showing the liquidcontaining device removed from the dispensing position. Y In the drawingI have shown a refrigerator 2 Claims. (Cl. (i2-,141)

structed and arranged that the receptacle may be secured to the beinewith ure ieu-.er in its upright'.

position. Thereafter, when the bottle is upended, no liquid will bespilled.

Describing my invention in greater detail, I have shown a refrigeratordoor comprising inner land outer liners 22 andjl23, respectively. A re-V cessed pan -24 is suitably secured, as by means of threaded membersextending into suitably threaded bosses, in an opening in the innerliner Y 22 thereby providing a recess for the bottle-or container Il.With this arrangement, the liquid container occupies a "of food storagevolume.- The space between the inner and outer liners is lled with' aSuitable thermal insulating material 25.

The upwardly opening cup-shaped member or fitting I6 is suitably securedto the pan 24 in the lower portionthereof, as inthe bottomwall, in

any suitable manner. The conduit I9 extends 4from the tting through thedoor and terminates in a faucet 26 exteriorly of the door. VThese partsmay be integral, as shown, or separable, if decabinet I0 of the domestictype having a food storage compartment II therein, the food com'-partment being closed by a door I2. A recess Il is arranged in the innerwall of the door to r'eceive a water bottle or liquid container I4. Thecontainer supported in the inverted position on acup or receptacle I5which in turn is sup-4 The Vreceptacle I5vis generally-cup. shaped andis providedv at one end thereof wim' a laterally and then upwardlyextending flange 2l for enlcirclement of the neck 28 of the containerIl.

p The neck of the container rests on-the laterally outlet i8is bored orotherwise formed in a boss'l ported on a cup-shaped fitting or recessedmember IS'secured in the lower portion of 1the recess I3, the memberl I5serving as a closure for the .opening in the container. Cooled liquid,aswater for example, from the bottle Il and receptacle or cup .I5 isdisposed through an outlet passage or opening I in the receptacle I5 anda conduit I9 extending portion of theflange or shoulder 2 1 and` I haveprovided al gasket `29 iI'msealinE,r the space between the bottle andthe shoulder. The

extending downwardly from the bottom portion of'the cupl andcommunicates with the interior' oft the receptacle I5. In order tomaintain the extending threugn the door from meaning Is.

I have found that when a liquid containerA such as disclosed in thedrawing is upended into a' receptacle without a closure member coveringthe liquid discharge opening thereof, frequently wa-A receptale insealing engagement with the con- Y tainer I4. I have provided abail 30on the'con tainer Il arranged'to engagea groove 3| sintably formed inthe edge'of the web V3l disposed on the bottom wall of the cup. Theabove described -arrangement for maintaining the container andreceptacle in assembled relationship is ter is spilled out of theopening therein 'and often the inertia; ofthe water or other liquidcauses 1the liquid to rush into tn'e cup, filling it too r'apidly andrunning over. Inorder to overcome this difllculty, I have provided avalve2l for normally closing the outlet I and a valve operatingmecherable from the'exterior of the cabinet, the operating means beingseparatewfrom the receptacle.

illustrative .onlyl and any other suitable means may be employed.

'I'he valve 20 has beenv provided for selectively opening orclosing theoutlet I8 to the flowzo'i' liq uid in the receptacle I5; A side wall oftherecepanism including a valve operating member 2| o'p'- The receptacleI6 with-thev valve 2l is so contacle is constructed lto provide a valveseat 33 for the valve`2l, the latter being suitably secured to a valvestem 34' in any suitable manner. The valve stem extends loutwardlythrough a suitable opening in the wall of the receptacle and tenninatesin a generally cupshaped member 35 constructed and arranged for slidingengagement with-a latbe seen that normally the valve 23 `will he in its-be' limited to the particularconstruction shown to its closed positionI have provided a spring 38 6 disposed between the inner surface of themember 35 and the packing material 31. 5' In order to provide a steadyow of liquid' through the vfaucet 26 when thevalve is in its openposition, I provide an air vent 33 as shown l0 in'Fi'g. 2.

In order to maintain the container I4 in the inverted or liquiddispensing position, I have provided a retainer in the form of a bail 46which may be pivotally secured to the pan 24 by any l5 suitable means asindicated by the numeral 4l.`

n Wh'en it is desired to remove vthe container, the

bail is rotated upwardly until the container may be moved outwardly outof engagement with the bail. .A stop 42 is suitably secured to the pan2d '20 for assisting in maintaining the container in the' verticalposition and to prevent rattling thereof. -I have provided a suitablegasket 50 ior preventing leakage between the end of outlet Iii and ttlngI6'. If desired, positive means forholding 25 the outlet within thistting may-be employed.

In order to cause the valve 20 to be movedto a position which willpermit the withdrawal of liquid through the faucet 2S, I have provided avalve operator- Zl arranged to engage'the mem- 30 ber 35. The operator2| may be suitably secured to a stem or push rod 43 extending throughthe door and terminating in an operating knob or push button M.' Inorder to guide the push rod suitably secured to the outer liner 23 bymeans of a nut 43. In order to prevent the passage of air and moisturethrough the door, I have provided a suitable sealing washer 41. Inorder'to bias the'push button 44 and thereforethe oper- 40 outwardmovement of the operator or push rod,

I have provided a pin 49 extendlngthrough'the push rod 43 for engagementwith the fitting 4t. With the above described arrangement, it willclosed position and` no now of nqula win be had but, if the push button44 is pressed inwardly, the movement of the operator 2| against themember 35 will cause the valve to open. As 55 soon as the'forceagainstthe button 45 is released, the operator will be withdrawn and the valve20 will return to its normally closed position, cutting oli the flow ofliquid.. `With vthis arrangement, the' container may be readily insertedo r removed from the dispensing position with- 1. outlossof1iquid.

While I have shown `a particular embodimentl of `my invention, I- do notdesire my invention to and described and I intend in the appended claimsto cover all modifications within the spirit and scope of my invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates is:

1. In a refrigerator-,cabinet having inner and outer walls defining afood storage compartment,

a member having an. upwardly opening recess, said recessed member beingsupported in said compartment on said inner wall, an inverted liquidcontainer supported in said recessed member, said container having anopening for the passage of liquid therefrom, a cup-shaped closure membercarried by said container for closing said container opening, the bottomwall of said closure member having a portion extending into andsupported by said recessed member, said portion having an opening forthe passage of liquid from said closure member to said recessed member,

Avalve means for normally closing said opening in said closure member,valve operating means extending through a side wall of said closuremember Afor operating said valve, additional means extending through awall of the cabinet and hav' j .from said recessed member to theexterior of said 43 and knob 44, Il have provided a fitting 65 35cabinet.

' 2. In a refrigerator cabinet having walls dening a food storagecompartment, one of said walls having a recess on the inner sidethereof, a recessed member /supportedin the lower portion of saidrecess, an inverted liquid container in said recess, said vcontainerhaving an opening for the passage of liquid therefrom, an intermediatemember disposed between said opening inI said container and saidrecessed member, said intermediate member having a passage forconducting liquid from said container to said recessed member, owcontrolling means associated with said intermediatemember for normallypreventingthe flow of liquid through said pas-- passage, additionalmeans extending through a wall of said refrigerator and having a portionfor engagement with said now controlling means when actuated fromoutside the cabinet, said extending means and said additional meansbeing separate but constructed and arranged so that in the assembledposition of said container, the now controlling means is moved to theliquid vflow permitting position only when said additional meansisactuated, and means for conducting liquid from said recessed member tothe exterior of said cabinet.

GEQRGE C. HARRISON.

